Tandem rear hubs

I have been adjusting the rear hub on our tandem and becoming intensely
frustrated. This is a Shimano hub with cup and cone bearings. There's no
adjusting the right-hand side cone, because it is inside the freehub body,
so the left-hand one has to be adjusted. This seems inherently trickier to
get right than I am used to c&c bearings being, but what really makes it
agonising is that then the drum brake has to be screwed down on top of it
without jiggering the adjustment. Furthermore the axle nuts seem to like
to twist the axle slightly, but obviously I should just replace the axle
with a hollow QR one. We carry two locks and anyway the rear wheel would
be a nightmare to steal because of the way the drum brake is lovingly
intertwined with everything.

In any case persistent maladjustment has destroyed one set of cones and I
suspect it will eventually destroy the cups. Hence I've reached the point
where I'm willing to throw money at the problem.

Can anyone recommend tandem rear hubs which are sufficiently robust for
loaded touring, accomodate the Arai drum brake, come in 140mm spacing and
48 holes, and ideally use cartridge bearings or failing that are as
straightforward to adjust as possible? Bonus points if the answer isn't
shelling $400 for a Phil Wood, although I will if I absolutely have to.
--
David Damerell flcl?
Today is Second Sunday, May - a weekend.

David Damerell wrote:
I have been adjusting the rear hub on our tandem and becoming intensely
frustrated. This is a Shimano hub with cup and cone bearings. There's no
adjusting the right-hand side cone, because it is inside the freehub body,
so the left-hand one has to be adjusted. This seems inherently trickier to
get right than I am used to c&c bearings being, but what really makes it
agonising is that then the drum brake has to be screwed down on top of it
without jiggering the adjustment.

Shimano hubs usually have plenty of spacers. Put a thin locknut directly
against the adjusting cone, and replace the spacer by a corresponding
thinner one. Now you can adjust the hub without the brake making things
difficult
--
---
Marten Gerritsen

INFOapestaartjeM-GINEERINGpuntNL
www.m-gineering.nl

David Damerell wrote:
I have been adjusting the rear hub on our tandem and becoming intensely
frustrated. This is a Shimano hub with cup and cone bearings. There's no
adjusting the right-hand side cone, because it is inside the freehub body,
so the left-hand one has to be adjusted. This seems inherently trickier to
get right than I am used to c&c bearings being, but what really makes it
agonising is that then the drum brake has to be screwed down on top of it
without jiggering the adjustment. Furthermore the axle nuts seem to like
to twist the axle slightly,

My method of tightening the nuts on solid-axle hubs: tighten both nuts
finger tight. Then alternate tightening both sides as much as possible
before the axle starts to twist. This is very little on the first go,
but in just a few iterations, you can get 'em real tight without any
axle twist.

Can anyone recommend tandem rear hubs which are sufficiently robust for
loaded touring, accomodate the Arai drum brake, come in 140mm spacing and
48 holes, and ideally use cartridge bearings or failing that are as
straightforward to adjust as possible? Bonus points if the answer isn't
shelling $400 for a Phil Wood, although I will if I absolutely have to.

A friend is trying a White Industries hub (on his tandem) at the moment.
I think his is only 40 hole, but ISTR it had threads for a drum. He
believed the design looked strong, and said it was far cheaper than the
Phil.

Mark

Quoting M-gineering :
David Damerell wrote:
I have been adjusting the rear hub on our tandem and becoming intensely
frustrated. This is a Shimano hub with cup and cone bearings. There's no
adjusting the right-hand side cone, because it is inside the freehub body,
so the left-hand one has to be adjusted. This seems inherently trickier to
get right than I am used to c&c bearings being, but what really makes it
agonising is that then the drum brake has to be screwed down on top of it
without jiggering the adjustment.
Shimano hubs usually have plenty of spacers. Put a thin locknut directly
against the adjusting cone, and replace the spacer by a corresponding
thinner one. Now you can adjust the hub without the brake making things
difficult

This is already the arrangement. The problem is, screwing down the drum
brake seems to derange this adjustment no matter how tightly I have
screwed cone and locknut together.

Perhaps I'm missing something.
--
David Damerell flcl?
Today is Second Sunday, May - a weekend.

Quoting Mark Janeba :
David Damerell wrote:
Can anyone recommend tandem rear hubs [...]
A friend is trying a White Industries hub (on his tandem) at the moment.
I think his is only 40 hole, but ISTR it had threads for a drum.

They do them in a 48 and they are indeed threaded for drum brakes. And
they're 140mm - our machine, being '89, isn't 145mm - and cartridge
bearings. Thank you very much; if Sheldon doesn't appear in the next few
days saying "Oh, you want the Wazco 31A hub", I'll probably try one of
these; I see some Tandem Club people have used them for long distances
without trouble.
--
David Damerell flcl?
Today is Second Sunday, May - a weekend.